Family Tree
by Someday90
Summary: Life Unexpected meets OITNB. AU: Alex and Piper were living a happy life together until Alex got busted and went to prison. Wanting the best for Piper, Alex decided to let her go. What happens when years later a teenager comes to Alex's door claiming to be her daugther needing a signature to emancipate from Foster Care. Could Piper had done it all by herself? Vauseman story
1. Chapter 1 - Child Unexpected

**A/N: Hi everyone! I had this crazy idea of doing a sort of crossover between two of my favorite shows Orange Is The New Black and Life Unexpected.**

 **Also, I want you to know this is my first fan fiction and my first language is Spanish so… bare with me, please. I would really appreciate reviews if you find the time! All mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

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 **Chapter 1: Child Unexpected**

It was a typical Sunday morning for Alex meaning that she was sleeping due to the long shift she had worked at the bar the night before.  
She heard a knock on the door of her apartment and thought it probably was Nicky, her boss, but also her best friend, therefore she made no attempt to go check, telling herself that she'll call her later, at a more appropriate time.  
When Alex heard a second, and then a third knock, she finally stood up and went to answer the door.

"Nicky, I swear to God I will kill you if " She was about to start a rant when she noticed that the person standing in front of her was definitely not her messy haired of a best friend. In fact, it was a blond teenager that for some weird reason looked like someone she already knew but didn't remember where.

"I'm sorry kid but whatever you are selling I'm not interested" The girl looked wordless and stared at her for what it felt like an eternity.

"Ok, ok …I'll buy you something, what do you have? Cookies? Are you like a girl scout? You definitely have to be a girl scout to be up this early on a Sunday morning "

"Um… I'm looking for Alexandra Vause. I understand this is her address but I don't know if she still lives here. Do you know when and where can I find her?" The blond girl finally spoke.

"I'm Alex. Alex Vause."

"Oh… are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Do you need me to sign an order for the cookies or what?

"I'm Lux. I'm… I'm not a girl scout. Actually, I'm half your DNA"

"What?"

"I'm your daughter"

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Alex and Piper love story had begun a night at a super random bar where Alex was out with friends and Piper, a young WASPy fresh out of college girl, was looking for a job._

 _"Hey you_ _,_ _Laura Ingalls Wilder_ _. We're escaping America before the apocalypse. Wanna come?" These were the first words Alex had said to Piper and at t_ _hat instant moment they met it was pure connection and they hit it off right form there. They started dating after the tall brunette broke up with her sort of girlfriend at the time Sylvia._

 _Their relationship wasn't always easy with Alex complicated line of work. Piper knew from the very beginning she worked for an International Drug Cartel and it was true that they had had a lot of fun and adventures all over the world because of it, but after a while, Piper wanted more for the two of them. She wanted a family, a normal job and a stable place where they would live and call home.  
At first Alex was reluctant to leave the Cartel so they started to argue every minute they were together. They argued about the job, the neglect the blonde was feeling, the jealousy over the mules and the most important thing for Piper: Alex's safety.  
They made it to a point where they had to decide if this was it or they were gonna be able to move forward together.  
Piper wanted more and Alex wanted Piper. Therefore, decision made.  
Leaving a Drug Cartel wasn't an easy task but after Fahri had talked to Kubra and promises of strict silence were made, they let Alex and Piper go._

 _Years have passed and nothing could be better. They were happily living together in the States and still very much in love to the point that it was disgustingly cute according to Polly, Piper's best friend and business partner. Polly and Piper have started a local soap shop called Poppy which was doing very well. Alex, on the other hand, was working in a Library, where she was the manager and got to be surrounded by books all day. She was absolutely ecstatic when she landed the job because books were her favorite thing in the world, after Piper, of course._

" _Babe, I think I am ready" Alex said to Piper, one night while they were already in bed about to get some sleep._

" _Me too. I'm worn out. Polly drove me insane today"_

 _Alex couldn't help but smile at the fact that her girlfriend didn't understand what she was meaning to say at all._

" _I meant I'm ready… ready to start a family with you"_

 _Piper quickly turned over facing the brunette and sporting the biggest smile Alex had ever seen._

" _Really?"_

" _Yes, really. I love you more than anything in my life and I want to try and be a mom with you"_

" _Oh my god, Alex! You make me so happy! You are going to be the best mom ever. You'll see"_

" _I don't think so 'cause the best mom ever is going to be you, so…" At this statement Piper could not wait a second more and started to kiss Alex with all of her strength._

 _They decided Piper would carry but they would use Alex eggs and a blond sperm donant so their future child would be a mix from the two of them.  
They were happy, they were together, and they were in love. Little did they know that everything was about to go down._

 _The darker times began when after all of the joy and bliss over learning about Piper pregnancy they suffered their first miscarriage. It was no one fault but still, Piper was sad all the time and Alex was trying to be the strong one for the both of them.  
Their second miscarriage came a little later and this time Alex couldn't hide the disappointment and frustration over wanting something so bad and not being able to achieve it. She began to throw herself into work and when Piper confronted her about shutting her out she told her they probably should wait a little before give it another try because she wasn't ready yet to lose another pregnancy. Piper agreed._

 _Three months later, two police officers came to their house and Piper's biggest fear was finally happening, Alex's past was catching up with her.  
Some guy from the ring had gotten busted and in an attempt to be sentenced with less years of prison, he had given names of other people who had worked for the Cartel as well._

 _ **End of Flashback**_

"Sorry, what? You are my… what?"

"Look I know this sounds weird, believe me, I don't really wanna be here as much as you want me here. The thing is the day after tomorrow is my 16th birthday and I'm trying to get emancipated from Foster Care. I was putting together the paperwork for my hearing and it turns out that no one ever signed the permanent release of rights. My Caseworker was gonna take forever to get it signed so when she went to speak on her phone I looked at my file and saw your name and address. Basically until you sign this paper you are still, legally, my mother"

To say that Alex was shocked was really an understatement. She was beyond shocked. The kid beside her claimed to be her daughter. This had to be a mistake. She never had a child. Since she got out of prison she has been living a crappy life and before… suddenly a name and a face invaded Alex's mind. A face she has been trying to forget and erase from her memory for the past 15 years.

"Wait how many years old did you said you were?" She asked to the kid.

"I'm 16. Well almost 16. And I would like to stress that if I don't get both signatures before my hearing I'll have to spend two more years in Foster Care which, in case you don't know, sucks"

Alex's mind went directly to the exact moment when she had told Piper to wait for a little while before give it another try to the in vitro fertility treatment. Then she went to prison and decided to make the most difficult thing she had ever done in her whole life; letting Piper go. Piper would have never done this by herself, it wasn't possible. Or was it? She was so into her thoughts when she heard the blond girl talk again.

"Ok, judging from the confused look in your face I think I need to do this again. You and someone had a kid, you gave up that kid. I'm that kid. And now I'm applying for emancipation so I need your signature and the other woman as well. I couldn't see her name nor her address without getting caught for looking at my file but several years before I've heard a Social Worker say I didn't had a father 'cause I was the child of a lesbian couple"

Alex felt like her heart had stopped at the mention of another woman. She couldn't deny it anymore. Everything seemed to fit. This girl needed to find Piper and so did she for a sure needed explanation.

"Piper" Alex said stroking her hair with her hands, a habit she usually did when she got nervous.

"Piper Chapman is your other mom"


	2. Chapter 2 - Face Remembered

**A/N: Hey guys, I owe you a huge thank you for all of the favorites and follows. It was a great way for me to know you liked the story.**

 **Special thanks for those of you who gave me nice reviews. I seriously appreciate your kind words: KitsuneHine18x, samb06, SeriouslyAwesome, (Oh my god this story is great) Guest, (Really great start) Guest, moanzs, Phantomjazz, allievamp, (Very good) Guest, (WTF) Guest, Vausemaniac.**

 **All mistakes are mine. Remember I'm just a girl from a Spanish speaking country who is trying to write a fic in Enlish. No big deal ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

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 **Chapter 2: Face Remembered**

"This one right here I think it's the perfect choice for the present you are looking for. It's a mix of honey and cinnamon. Call me a fool but I believe an essence could take you to places you don't even imagine" Piper was talking to a costumer and as usually her huge ability to rant about almost anything was beginning to show. "It's so crazy to think just a scent could take you to a moment of your life from some particular reason and it's up to you to figure out why. You know what I mean?"

"Okay, I think what my a little bit too much melancholic friend here means is your grandmother would be delighted with this present" Polly said with a smirk in her face looking pleased when the said costumer went to buy the fragrance.

"My god Piper it was just a present for her grandmother. Keep up your insanely big talkative habits and you'll sent all of our customers away" Piper pretended to look offended and playfully slapped her friend's shoulder.

Meanwhile, just a block away, Alex was parking her truck. After she had told Lux, Piper Chapman was the name of her other mom she immediately wanted to go find her. Alex did as well; she was furious and desperate for an explanation. The only problem was she hadn't seen or talked to her ex in a very very long time. Her only idea was to go see if Poppy was still in the same place it used to be. Since Alex has been out of prison she has never dared to go by this neighborhood not wanting any possible chance of running with that person that still haunted her dreams at night.  
Alex and Lux noticed the store was still there, indeed, and fortunately it was open. When they were about to go inside Alex suddenly stopped. "Um… kid, I think you should go inside alone. I'll wait for you here"

Alex knew she had to face Piper eventually but being here just a couple of steps away from her and with the presence of their daughter no less felt too much of a pressure for one hell of a morning.  
Lux took one big breath of air and went to open the store's door. Already inside she was welcomed with a particular essence that made her feel warm and nice. She then felt a pair of blue eyes with a perfect pearly white smile directed at her and heard a question about what she was looking for.  
She so wanted to speak and introduce herself but instead she went total mute.  
She was having an even more difficult time than with Alex. Maybe it was because she had noticed right away the brunette didn't precisely knew about her existence but this Piper person did and Piper in one way or another had given her up.

Alex was pacing back and forward in the street when she noticed Lux turn around and gaze at her with a terrified look in her face. In that instant moment she felt an urge to go help this kid she had just met, putting all of her own fears aside.  
The door opened and Piper saw her ex girlfriend walk into her store after haven't seen her over the past 15 years. "Alex…" Piper softly whispered.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Two months. It had been two months since Alex went to prison. Two months since Piper's life became a mess. She had been lying in bed all day, well, in truth she had been lying in bed a lot lately. She was so tired... tired of crying, tired of worrying, tired of feeling sick. All she wished for was to close her eyes and forget about everything._

 _She still couldn't believe what Alex had done to her. They were so scared when the brunette got arrested and sentenced to 8 years of prison but Piper told her she would wait for her. They could get through this, they could pass this obstacle and then they would finally be able to move on to the next thing together.  
A month after Alex's imprisonment Piper noticed Alex was beginning to act a bit cold towards her. She started to call her less and less and seemed to have a hard time talking to her during visitation hours. She was slowly shutting Piper out. The blonde one tried to support her girlfriend and remain calm about everything. It was understandable for Alex to act out of character. She could see how mad and how hard the brunette punished herself for her choices in the past.  
And then, the worst thing that could happen, happened. One day during visitation, Alex had blatantly told her she didn't think she loved her like she used to and had admitted to reconnect with an ex mule who had gotten busted for her old days working for the drug ring as well. Said woman was not only an ex mule she was also Alex's ex-girlfriend Sylvia.  
_

 _"She is here and I couldn't help it. I cheated on you. I'm so very sorry Piper but she is what I need right now" Piper remembered Alex saying those hurtful words._

 _Piper was sure after a lot of processing she could have forgiven the cheating part but Alex kept saying she didn't wanna be with her anymore. And after a while she even remove her of visitation list. Piper was so mad and devastated. She didn't know what else to do. She was living her worst nightmare._

 _"I'm okay, seriously, it probably is just a stomach bug" Piper had told her friend on the phone. Polly went by Piper house with some medicine anyways. She found her blonde friend lying on bed, as usually, and after learning she hadn't eaten anything in all day she went to make some soup. Since Piper and Alex had broken up she was like a walking zombie. No emotion at all and Polly was worried._

 _"Damn Piper, you literally have nothing on your fridge. I will just order in and then I'm gonna bring you some vegetables and food from the market store, okay? She sort of shouted to her friend who was at her bedroom._

 _When she was looking for the address book to find a take-out number she couldn't help but notice a big envelope whit the words "New York Office of Children and Family Services, Adoption Service" written in the front. She was about to leave it where she had found it when she saw Piper standing there, staring at her._

 _"Why are you snooping through my things Polly?" Piper angrily questioned her friend._

 _"I was about to leave it there. Why do still have that anyways? " Polly initial thought was that Piper and Alex were contacting agencies for adoption in case the In Vitro Fertility treatment didn't work out. Call it instinct but after a millisecond another idea went by her mind. A crazy idea, she thought. She grabbed the envelope again and looked at the date. It was from a week ago. Maybe she wasn't so crazy after all._

 _"Piper, what the hell? Why are you in touch with an Adoption Agency?"_

 _"I'm pregnant Polly" Piper sighed, she couldn't hide it forever anyways. "After the awful way Alex took the second miscarriage I decided to give it another try just by myself so if it didn't work out she wouldn't even know. I was two months pregnant when Alex got arrested and at the time I thought to wait a little while to tell her so she could adjust to what she was going trough without getting all worried about me and the baby. And then, well, you know the rest"_

 _"So Alex doesn't know and you are thinking about giving your baby up" Polly quite shocked questioned her friend._

 _"At first I thought I could do this alone but now I'm actually not sure if I can. You've seen me, most days I don't even want to get up or eat. I just want Alex back and she doesn't want me. She fucking cheated on me. She is the love of my life and she fucking abandoned me" Piper said while sobbing. "I'm in no place to raise a child and I don't want for her to have an awful life because of me. She is so innocent in this, I just… I just want what's best for her"_

 ** _End of flashback_**

"Meet Lux, our daughter" Alex said while walking inside and standing right next to the teenager.

"Hi" Lux finally managed to utter a word while waving her hand.

"Oh my god! Hi! I can´t believe you are here, last time… last time I saw you, you were so tiny and now you're so big… I mean… you're not big big. You are proportional big" Piper nervously ranted "Are you okay? Are you good?"

"Yeah I'm fine; you know, uh, proportional" Lux tried to lighten up the conversation.

"You have blonde hair and her green eyes" Piper said pointing Alex out with her hand. In the thrill of meeting Lux she had almost forgotten about the presence of her ex.

"Alex, I swear I can explain" Piper eyes immediately went glassy. She knew the brunette must be fuming with rage by now.

"Let's focus in what Lux needs from us and we will talk later, privately" Alex answered. "She has something for us to sign"

"Yeah, I need your signature; I can't get emancipated without it" Lux said.

"What? Emancipated? From what? Your adoptive parents?" Piper was really confused.

"From Foster Care System, she's never been adopted" Alex cut in.

"It's a long and pretty boring story so if you can just sign here" Lux spoke softly and offered her the paper which needed to be sign.

"Sorry" Piper began to talk "I'm just… I'm just a little bit confused here. The social worker said she was gonna have no problem placing you, that there was this waiting list for people who wanted a baby"

"Well, I don't know if you knew this but I was born with this heart thing… a hole. I had to have a bunch of surgeries. A baby on the operation table isn't exactly a selling point to potential parents. I was fine but after everything I was almost three and most people… they want a baby" Lux explained and looking at both of her biologically mothers she added "I mean, not everyone obviously"

"It's not that I didn't want a baby. In fact, we wanted you so much we went through a lot of treatments. It's just… it's just…" Piper mouth opened but no word came out. She wanted to clarify everything but it was so so difficult.

"You know, you should really just sign these so I can take it to my caseworker before school" At this point all Lux wanted was to get out of there. When she had looked at Alex's address she knew all the possible heartache she could undergo by meeting her mothers and learning why they gave her up. So she had promised herself to not get attached or disappointed. It was a simple request for a signature. It HAD to be simple.

"But wouldn't you rather hold out and wait to see if somebody's gonna adopt you, if there was a chance of that?" Alex questioned. She had been quietly listening the other two interact but she felt the need to ask.

"No one is going to pick me. No one's gonna take me unless I have a government check attached. No one wanted a three-year-old. How many people do you think wants teenagers?" The blond girl snorted.

"No, you're right. I probably don't know what I'm talking about" The tall brunette answered in frustration and proceeded to sign the papers.

"Look, Lux, I think Alex might be right. You think you know everything, believe me at 15 I did too" Piper began talking.

"Almost 16" Lux punctuated.

"There are probably a lot of things that you haven't considered, like do you know where you're gonna go to school or even live? Have… I mean, how are you gonna make any money?"Piper continued speaking.

"No offense but I haven't had a mom in 15 years. I don't need one now. Or two, as a matter of fact" At this last statement Piper sighed and signed the papers as well. She was still unsure but she couldn't deny the girl was right. She had no say in her life or the decisions she made.

Lux, then went to grab her things. "I really appreciate you signing this; it was nice to meet you both. I have to go now"

"Wait kid, I'll take you to wherever you need to go" The tall brunette offered and started to walk to reach the young girl.

"No, I will take the bus, it's fine, really. Goodbye"

And then just like that, she was gone.

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 **A/N 2: Don't hate on Alex or Piper. They only did what they did thinking they were doing what was best for everyone. Everything will be revealed in the next couple of chapters.**

 **I would really appreciate reviews if you find the time! See you soon with Chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Past Confronted

**A/N: Hey guys! How are you? Here is Chapter 3.  
Again, thank you all so much for the favorites and follows. It is very exciting :)  
**

 **Reviews**

 **(Not patient) Guest: I'm glad you are hooked. Really hoping you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 **Samb06: I love your reviews and enthusiasm for my story. I appreciate you telling me I've been dominating English well. It can get a little hard sometimes but so far so good. Thank you for your continued support!**

 **(nyc) Guest: I've to confess I don't really know what nyc stands for. I've always thought it referred to New York City but thank you for taking the time to leave a review anyways.**

 **Phantomjazz: Chapter by chapter I find myself getting more and more confident about my writing which results in a longer chapter. So who knows maybe by chapter number 10 I get to write a super long one ;) Thank you for your support!**

 **Sweetlikevanillais: I'm glad you can't wait for more because let me tell you I've got a lot planned out for this story. Thank yo u!**

 **Vausemaniac: I know, poor Lux, right? I love my story is giving you the feels even if they are of the sad kind ;) Your reviews never fail to make me smile so thank you very very much!**

 **(OMG) Guest: I believe you wanted Lux back, well, I think you are going to be very happy with this chapter. Thank you for your kind words!**

 **Hanna: Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Believe me. I also can't wait for the next chapter. And I write them ;)**

 **As always, all mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

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 **Chapter 3: Past Confronted**

If someone had told Piper that one day she would see her daughter and ex-girlfriend come together no less, to her store she would never had believed it. Mainly because said ex-girlfriend knew nothing about their daughter's existence and also because she had always assumed that the tiny beautiful baby she had given birth to, was living a blissful life along with two great parents by now.  
From time to time she allowed herself to think about the baby. She liked to imagine her child's first words, first steps, first day at school… all firsts she'll never get the chance to experience. Over the years Piper had learned to compartmentalize her feelings trying to cover up the guilt with thoughts of a little girl having all of she'd ever wanted. And then some.

"Wow. That was… intense for the lack of a better word" Polly commented. She had witnessed the whole conversation behind the store's counter.

"Yeah, tell me about it" Alex said in a sarcastic tone. "Can we talk now?"

Piper nodded and guided both of them to the office in the back she and Polly shared. Not a second later inside the office, Alex was already raging at her. "What the fuck, Piper? I can't fucking believe you. After we had talked and agreed on waiting for a while to do another IVF treatment you went behind my back and did it anyways. Fuck! What were you even thinking? Oh yeah right, how silly of me to imagine Piper fucking Chapman would ever think of the possible outcomes before doing something for her own selfish reasons" The brunette said harshly while putting her hands in her hips and instantly moving them away. She could feel her body starting to shake a little; she was mad. In fact, she was beyond mad and wasn't exactly planning on hiding it.

Piper turned around with red glassy eyes, seemingly astonished at Alex hurtful words. The blonde one could understand her ex-girlfriend being angry at her but how dare this woman accuse her of being selfish. She had been called selfish a lot of times during her whole life, even Alex had used this adjective to describe her occasionally but in this mere instance she had been nothing but selfish. She had given their daughter up in order to give her a chance of a better life, that for Christ's sake, had to be the biggest act of selfishness of all.

"My own selfish reasons? Are you kidding me?! I did the treatment all by myself so if it didn't work out you wouldn't have to get disappointed or upset. I took care of everything for you, you fucking ass-hole" Piper said raising her voice. "Yes, you are right; I know I made a huge mistake by not telling you anything. It is, and probably will be, the biggest mistake of my life but believe me when I say; I've never stopped feeling guilty about it"

"So, you got pregnant while I was in prison and unilaterally decided to give her up for adoption because of what? Why didn't you keep her? Tell me Piper, how fucked up is that?"

"Oh no. You got that wrong. I was already two months pregnant when you got arrested. Of course I was going to keep her and we both would wait for you to get out but at the time I thought it would be better if I waited a little bit to tell you so you could get used to your new reality without getting to worry about us. And then when I was ready to tell you, you started to act so weird and I" Piper was explaining when Alex cut her in and continued talking in an even louder tone.

"There it is, the good ol' Piper who never does anything wrong. You were finally fucking ready to tell me something you should have told me the minute after you knew it by the way, when I decided to act weird. Of course it was my fucking fault 'cause you know everything was going so well for me and I went by and ruined everything by 'acting weird', right?" The tall brunette commented using air quotes to stress how dumb she thought the blonde's explanation was.

"No, Alex you ruined everything by shutting me out, by wanting out of our relationship, by pretending to be this strong woman who couldn't be vulnerable or let others take care of her" Piper replied already feeling hot tears rolling down her face.

"Yeah. Like you could have taken care of me from the outside. I was at god damn prison Piper, seeing so many fucked-up things everyday… you wouldn't even imagine"

"Well, fuck you for underestimate me and not even let me try. It took you less than two seconds to go running right back to your ex's arms not caring a fucking bit about everything we had built over the years" At that statement Alex body tensed and a series of memories began to flash through her mind.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _It was at night and_ _ _Alex was lying in her bunk. S_ he was supposed to be sleeping. She could hear her bunkmate snore and was gotten distracted by that. In reality, she knew perfectly well her bunkmate snores weren't the cause of her lack of sleep. She had been feeling anxious over a deep thought she'd been contemplating for over a few days by now. The main problem was she knew if she went along with it, everything would change and it would sure as hell turn her world upside down.  
Love. What a pain in the ass. The whole thing would have been a lot easier if she didn't loved Piper. She could have gone to prison and done her time without having to be always so worried about the blonde outside. Without missing her so fucking much to the point it physically hurt._

 _Time went by and after every visitation hour or phone call they've shared Alex couldn't fail to notice the fact Piper described her days as fine and uneventful but everything was, indeed, a big fat lie. Alex had always had the ability to read through the blonde like a book. She could tell Piper was trying to hide the fact she was worried and miserable all the time. And that's where their relationship started to go down. The brunette one couldn't help to feel guilty about everything. She knew she was the sole reason for all of the bad things happening to Piper.  
_

 _So then she made a decision. The most difficult decision of her whole life, probably. She had to do it. She had to learn how to live a life without her presence, without her voice, without her smell and eyes. Piper deserved a better life, a life of pure happiness. A life where she could achieve everything she had ever wanted.  
Therefore, she had to let her go.  
Alex knew she needed to really hurt the blonde's feelings or she would never believe she wanted out of their relationship. It had to be something big and extreme. She was deep into her thoughts when just like that, she saw a woman get pass her at the prison patio. A woman she recognized from her past days as a heroin importer. Last time she had seen Sylvia was when she had broken up with her in order to be with Piper. She knew her girlfriend couldn't stand Sylvia, she used to think the latter one was even mentally crazy. So, she made a plan. One day she would cassually tell Piper Sylvia was at Litchfield too and on another different day she will lie about having cheated on her. Alex knew this would destroy Piper, and herself as well, but it needed to be done.  
_

 _"What the fuck Alex? What the fuck are you trying to say? I don't believe you. Not for a second. Look me right in the eye and dare to tell me you don't love me anymore" Piper could feel her body starting to quiver and tremble._

 _"I don't… I don't love you anymore. She is here and you are not, she is the comfort I need right now. I'm sorry, I'm really am, but we are over" Since that day Alex definition of hell was redefined. Hell was the look of devastation in Piper's eyes at that exact moment._

 ** _End of flashback_**

Alex was taken aback when she heard the door being open to reveal no one other but the blonde's best friend.

"Umm… I could hear you guys scream at each other from the other room. I think you should take a time-out and try to cool down a little bit. Also, I know is none of my business but I'm gonna say it anyway; everything Piper did was always thinking about what was best for the baby. What's your excuse for cheating on her and no longer wanna work things out, huh?" Polly said taking a stand to defend her friend.

"You're right, Molly. It is none of your fucking business, so stay out" The brunette replied and went pass Polly trying to step out of the office.

"Wait… Alex, where are you going?" Piper went after her ex "We are not finished here"

"I think we are. In fact we've been finished for over 15 years by now. Oh and nice engagement ring by the way. Congratulations are in order, I suppose" Alex had noticed the ring right when she was observing Piper and Lux interact. She had conceded herself to take one look at the person she had loved more than anything in her life. Just one look, she thought. Time had been good to Piper, she still had blond golden hair and that baby blue eyes that made Alex melt inside. And let's not even begin with that precious smile of hers.  
She was practically being dazed by her stunning ex when she noticed it. There it was, a big fat engagement ring that for some reason made Alex feel a tingle of sadness in her heart.  
It was obvious she and Piper had zero chance to get back together and in all truth she only wanted for the blond to be happy. That's why she had lied about the cheating and decided to let her go back when she was imprisoned, but it didn't matter how much time had gone by, a strange force seemed to always pull them together. Inevitable, some people would say.

"Thanks, I guess. He and I…" Piper could swear she saw a look of disappointment in her ex's eyes while she was thanking her.

"Don't. The less I know the better"Alex ended their conversation.

'She went back to boys. So predictable of her' Alex reflected while proceeding to walk out of the store and hopefully out of the blonde's life as well.

"Are you okay Pipe?" Polly worriedly questioned her friend.

"I don't think so. No. You know anything related to Alex or the baby… Lux… will never be okay or easy for me" Piper repñied with a sad tone in her voice.

One day had passed and Lux's hearing was about to start. Yesterday had been excruciating for both Alex and Piper.  
The blonde one had been up all night, her mind couldn't seem to stop thinking about the events that had taken place earlier that day. On one hand she had seen her own daughter for the first time since she was this little cute baby she hadn't had the guts to even hold because she knew once she took a look at her in her arms she would never gonna be able to give her up for another people to raise. She had to be strong. She couldn't keep her. Not like this. It was the best for everyone.  
She, also, had come across with Alex. Her past girlfriend, her past lover, her past center of her life. She couldn't stop thinking about the hatred words the brunette had told her and that look of hate she had see in her eyes. Piper thought she herself had the right to be mad as well but she couldn't. All she wanted was for Alex to forgive her. She remembered to be so in love with her but so broken because of her at the very same time. It had taken years for Piper to move on to a new life and now… now everything was a mess again.

Alex, on the other hand had gone straight to her apartment with only one thought on her mind; a bottle of whiskey she had been saving for a special occasion. If meeting your daughter and estranged lover in the same day didn't classify as 'special occasion' she had no idea what would.  
Every word said was being repeated over and over in her head to the point she couldn't take it anymore. She opted to call Nicky, her best friend and boss to tell her she was not gonna be able to go to work because one she was drunk and two she had to think what to do to fix this up.

"I see you turn 16 tomorrow" The Judge said clearing his throat.

"Yes, and I'll be old enough to get emancipated, I can get my GED, get a job"

"And is this your caseworker?"

"I am, Your Honor. I've only been with Lux a few months. She tends to change hands often" Fern, the caseworker, replied.

"Well, I see that. Seven different foster homes. Also, I understand you have no permanent place of residence as of today?"

"Well, that's… that's not really my fault. I mean, I wanted a good home. The state of New York just hasn't provided me with one. And about the permanent place of residence, as soon as my petition is granted, there's a studio not far from my school" The young blond girl explained.

"How come you're going to afford an apartment? Where are you going to take the money from?" The Judge questioned with a severe tone.

"I have $3,000 in the bank" Lux stated.

"And who's going to cosign your rental agreement? No landlord is going to rent to a minor" The Judge was really not letting anything go.

"I'll cosign, Your Honor"  
"I can do it"  
Piper and Alex said respectively and in unison.

"Ah, come on" Alex blurted standing up and staring at Piper. "Let me do this one thing for the kid. Let me sign the thing"

"I'm sorry, who are you people?" The Judge asked in confusion.

"Uh, they're, um… my birth mothers" Lux nervously answered.

"Yes, Lux and I, recently reconnected, Your Honor. And apart from the circumstances that kept us apart" Alex said making a pause to throw a glance at Piper. "I think we bonded. So I definitely can co-sign for her"

"You bonded, huh? Over what? A car ride? Please. You want bond? Try being attached by an umbilical cord" Piper snorted back rolling her eyes and a wicked smile.

"You know, like she remembers any of that" Alex was not giving this up.

"Uh, no, 'cause if she did, she'd remember what a jerk you were" Neither was Piper.

They would have been at each other for hours but they both shut up when they noticed the Judge looking at them.

"I see in Lux's file, Miss Chapman you own your own business, is that correct?"

"Yes, Your Honor" The blue-eyed blonde one replied.

"And you are an ex convict who had been out of prison for the past 9 years. You were released one year earlier due to good behavior and now have a job, an apartment and had not committed a crime again since then"

"Each in possession of a working vehicle" The judge continued speaking and then referred directly to Lux "Okay. I'm going to be very straight with you. I am not granting you emancipation. You have no income. You have no permanent residence. You filed a fee waiver in order to cover your court costs. Now, Piper Chapman and Alexandra Vause are still legally your mothers"

"What? No, actually they're not. I… I had that papers signed" The young girl quickly offered the paper to the Judge to see it for himself.

"Those signatures were neither witnessed nor notarized. So, unless anyone here has an objection, I'm releasing you back into their temporary JOINT custody. This case is dismissed"

"What? That was quite the opposite of getting emancipated" Lux couldn't help to murmur aloud.

* * *

 **A/N 2: Yay, Lux is back an Alex did not cheated on Piper after all. And don't worry Lux is here to stay because DRAMAAA! What do you guys think?  
Please leave a review on your thoughts about the story so far. I would really appreciate it if you happen to find the time :)  
See you soon with another chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Wish Fulfilled

**A/N: Hey guys! How are you? Hope everything is okay :)  
**

 **So, here is another chapter. Things are still a little bit angsty between Alex, Piper and Lux at first but I managed to end the chapter in a happier and fluffy tone. Also Larry is making an appearance for the first time. I'm a Vauseman fan so I didn't precisely liked him in Season 1 but after meeting Stella in Season 3 I think he is alright ;)**

 **Again, thank you all so much for the favorites, follows and reviews. They are what keep me going with this story.  
And special shout out to those who leaved a review. So thank you so much to sam06, Vausemaniac, Guest and zibbsfan05.  
It is a little late over here where I live but I wanted to publish an update tonight, so, unfortunately, I don't have time right now to thank and leave a thought review by review. I apologize for it and I promise to do it in the next chapter.**

 **As always, all mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Wish Fulfilled**

"I'm releasing you back into their temporary JOINT custody. This case is dismissed" the Judge had firmly stated changing Alex, Piper and Lux's world forever.

Lux couldn't believe how awful everything turned out. She was mad. She was beyond mad. Not only she didn't get emancipated but also she was being forced to live with either Alex or Piper. What in the hell had happened? What were they even thinking going to her hearing and offering to co-sign the rental agreement? She didn't need them. Not 15 years later.

Lux fumingly grabbed all of her things and headed to the courtroom's door not without shooting a glare to both of her birth mothers.

"Lux! Wait!" Lux recognized Piper's voice and decided to turn around and give them a piece of her mind. She had a temper. Like mother like daughter. Someone could say.

"WHAT? You already managed to ruin my hearing. What else on Earth do you possibly would want now?"

"I can only speak for myself but I definitely did not come with the goal to ruin your audience in mind. I just couldn't get you out of my head and, I don't know, I wanted to see where you were going to be from now on to… you know… keep in touch… if you wanted, of course" The tall brunette managed to mumble. She, actually, didn't know why she was there. She just wanted to.

"Yeah, me too. I had this feeling which I can't really explain but I knew I had to come. I wanted to find you and at least talk. I've so much to explain you. I think I owe you that. The Judge's decision surprised me, I'm not gonna lie, but now… now everything is so clear and I want to do this. I'm ready now" Piper vigorously stated flashing a big smile.

"I want to try too. We could do this… together" Alex added. She started talking while looking at Lux but she had found herself unintentionally glancing at Piper at the mention of 'together'.

"Yeah we could" Piper whispered with a smile still etched on her lips.

All eyes were on Lux, who still hadn't said a word. Piper figured it was because the poor girl hadn't gotten over the emancipation thing yet, so she continued talking "Well, I think we have to make a plan to work this out. Lux could stay with me first at least for a few days while we figure out a living schedule"

"I don't think so. She can stay with me. You have a fiance back at home. With everything as it is you want to go and add meeting another person right now?"

"Are you really going to play the engagement card? That's low and resentful"

"Resentful? Yeah, right, like I care about you. Excuse me if I don't want MY daughter to go to a house with some man I don't even know"

"Oh please. In that case, I don't want MY daughter to go to an apartment where I'm sure she'll meet the all kind of women you must be dating right now. Women, as in plural, because we all now you can be monogamous. I can assure you Larry is so much better than any of your night-stands"

Alex was about to angrily reply when Lux suddenly spoke for the first time "Okay seriously, this is ridiculous. You have been fighting non-stop about everything since I've known you. I don't even know how the two of you managed to be a couple once. You can't be parents. You both need parents"

Alex and Piper both were in awe. Had they just been scolded by their own daughter? They both knew the teenager was kinda right but they couldn't help it. They had an unresolved past and couldn't deal with it right now so… they played this little game called 'who can say the most harsh and vindictive thing'.

"I'm going back to Foster Care. You don't have to worry about me. Really" Lux said noticing her caseworker Fern leaving the courtroom. She was turning away to go to talk to her when she felt two pairs of hands grabbing her by the wrist. "Wait kid, you are right. We've been acting like children but I promise we'll stop, alright? Come on, give us a chance"

"Just let me go, okay? You did it once, it shouldn't be that hard to do it again" It was crystal clear the young girl was obviously still mad at them for giving her up and she had every reason to be but, man, she had the power to crush Alex and Piper's hearts instantly by saying something like that.

As Lux saw the sad and heartbreaking looks both women had; she immediately regretted saying those things. Foot in the mouth disease, another personality quality inherited from her mother. It wasn't like she wanted to sound bitter or spiteful but she was finding it hard to remain calm and composed with everything turning out the exact opposite she had imagined.

After what it felt the longest awkward silence of all, the three of them were approached by Fern "Hello, you must already know who I am by now but I think I need to properly introduce myself. I'm Fern, Lux's caseworker" She shook hands with Alex and Piper and added "You were granted with a temporary joint custody so it means you both need to get approved to be foster parents and I've to get your houses inspected as well. Considering you weren't exactly applying to be foster parents I'm going to give you two days to prepare for it"

"Now, I understand Miss Vause works in a bar at nights so I would recommend for Lux to stay with Miss Chapman for now and the day after tomorrow if you both get approved we'll figure out a living situation. Is that okay?" Alex was a little disappointed over Lux not going home with her but she knew, objectively, this caseworker woman was right. On the other hand Piper smiled thinking that maybe she could get to know Lux a little more over the night. Her mind went already ahead of what she needed to do when she got home. She needed to clean up the spare room, starting by taking out all of the stuff Larry insisted to buy but never used instead. 'LARRY. OMG' She thought. And that was when it hit her. Larry knew nothing about her pregnancy or her past with a woman if she was being really honest.

After they parted ways with Alex and Fern they went to Piper's car. The ride was quiet. The older woman tried to make some conversation but Lux didn't seem too much into it so she thought to let her be. By the time they got to Piper's house it was already late so Piper decided to just order in and wait for Larry to come home.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay sleeping on the couch?"

"Yes, really, it's fine" Lux replied. In fact this couch seemed a lot more comfortable than many of the beds she had slept back in the foster care houses.

"Okay, great. It's just for a few nights though. I'm gonna have your new room ready as fast as I can. I promise"

They were chatting about their favorite colors because Piper wanted to get Lux's room painted that way when they heard the door being open to reveal Larry with a box of pizza in his hands. He had encountered with the Pizza delivery while getting inside.

"Pizza on a Tuesday, honey, are we celebrating something I don't remember about?" Larry said with an amusing manner when he noticed her fiancée and a strange blond young girl sat next to her at their living room.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know we had guests tonight. Hi, I'm Larry"

"Lux" The young girl stated. She, actually, had no idea if Larry knew anything about her existence at all.

"Um… sweetheart can we go talk in our room, please?" Larry felt a little suspicious at his fiancée mysteriousness since he got home but nodded anyways.

"And Lux please start eating if you want. We'll be right back"

Already in their shared room Piper nervously thought about the best possible way to reveal everything to her fiance. "Listen, honey, there is something I need to tell you. I… I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before but you've to understand it was a difficult subject for me"

"Sweetie you are scaring me. What's going on? Did something bad happen?"

"No, no. It is the opposite instead. Do you remember each time you used to ask me about that person Polly told you had broken me apart I used to change the topic and tell you I wasn't ready to talk about it?"

"Yes, of course. You were so vulnerable and found it hard to trust someone when I first met you it intrigued me what had happened to you and when Polly gave me a clue I couldn't help to ask but after a while I didn't do it anymore 'cause I could tell it was a still sensitive issue for you"

"Yes, and thank you for that. Well, the thing is before I met you I was in a relationship with Alex… a woman" Piper could notice Larry's surprised look plastered all over his face but continued talking anyways. She had to tell him everything now and as quickly as possible like ripping off a bandage "We were together for a long time, we traveled the world for a while and then decided to establish here to start a family. We used her eggs and did several IVF treatments for me to get pregnant. It took a while and Alex was getting upset so I decided to give it one last try just by myself. When it finally worked Alex went to prison for her past as a heroin importer and when I was going to tell her, she ended our relationship closing every possible way of communication. I was miserable and devastated all the time. And when I say all the time, I really really mean it. I was in no position to raise a baby when I didn't even care about myself. I knew this baby was innocent in all if this so I did what I thought it would be the best. I… I gave her up for adoption. But the thing is she never got adopted so she repapered in my life looking for my signature to be able to emancipate and" Piper could tell Larry was feeling a little overwhelmed with all the new information so she decided to speed things a little "Long story short Alex and I got temporary joint custody of her"

"Wait. You were a lesbian? And your ex was a drug dealer? And you had a child?" To say Larry was shocked was really an understatement.

"At the time, yes. And she wasn't a drug dealer more of an importer kind. And I did had a child. Lux, who you met downstairs"

"My god Piper, why didn't you tell me anything before?"

"I'm so so sorry and I feel like I always get in trouble because I keep things for myself and I'm constantly letting down everyone because of it. But listen, here is the deal; I don't want to push people away anymore. I don't want to sabotage and screw this up. I just want to act like an adult. Somebody that is actually worthy of you and Lux. I'm going to do this, Larry. I'm going to take care of her. And I'm really hoping that you are going to help me" Piper sated with tears in her eyes. She was decided to take responsibility for everything now. No more running away.

* * *

Alex was working at the bar that night being totally distracted thinking about a way to make her apartment presentable by the inspection day. Her small one-room apartment by the way.

"Hey. Earth to Vause. Earth to Vause" The brunette was so deep into her thoughts she hadn't noticed Nicky talking to her before the latter one had roughly tapped her shoulder.

"Nicky, hey. Just the person I was looking for. I need your help to make my apartment decent for the home inspection Lux's caseworker is going to do the day after tomorrow"

"I know I tend to describe myself as a miracle-worker but, Vause, I thought you knew by now it just a trick to get into girls' pants. Besides when I say I make miracles happen I'm referring to another kind of miracles, if you catch my drift" The messy-haired woman said while playfully winking at her friend.

"Come on Nicky, I'm being serious here. The Social worker already recommended for Lux to stay with Piper 'cause she thought she would be better off with Piper and her probably big-shot of a husband"

"So your ex is married. You didn't tell me that" Nicky asked pretended to be surprised. She remembered very well her friend's ex was engaged but she wanted to cause a reaction in Alex.

"Engaged, so… Potato, Potahto" Alex mumbled while pouring a shot of vodka to a costumer.

"It's not the same thing. If they are not married yet, it means you still have the chance to crash their wedding at the exact mention of 'if anyone has any objection blah blah blah' and steal the bride away. Oh man, it'll be epic" Nicky exclaimed amusingly. She was having fun and trying to lighten up her friend's mood.

"Are you kidding me? In case you haven't noticed by now, Piper is a stubborn, selfish, narcissist ass who kept me apart from my daughter for 16 years. Believe me I'm better off alone anyways. If I'm gonna do this with Lux I'm gonna do it right. I'm wanna focus only on her right now"

"Okay okay, don't get all exasperated at me, I think you are doing the right thing and of course I will help you with the apartment situation. But let me say something, you were once super madly in love with said stubborn, selfish, narcissist ass, and I'm not defending her but you weren't no saint either so don't blame her for everything" Nicky firmly stated and turned to serve a glass of beer to another costumer.

Alex was thinking about everything Nicky had said when she heard her phone rang. 'Speaking of the devil' she thought, while seeing at the ID caller number.

"Hello" She said as she answered the call.

"Hi. Hope I'm not disturbing you at work. I came up with an idea and I wanted to know if you would be up for it"

* * *

"Lux" Piper said with her softest tone of voice gently tapping at Lux's shoulder.

It was still early in the morning and it took a while for Lux to comprehend where and with who she was at the moment. Last few days had been insane and she still needed time to process the fact she had been released to the care of no other than her births mothers. The thought of having a mom, two moms no less, made her heart melt. Since she had heard a social worker state she was the child of a lesbian couple all she had ever wanted was to meet them and to be a family. She had discarded such wish over the years replacing it with sour feelings of abandonment.

Lux had barely managed to open her eyes when saw Piper looking adoringly at her "Happy Birthday" she heard the older blonde woman say.

"Thank you" Lux flushed a big-hearted smile.

"Is she awake? Hey there, birthday girl! We hope you like it" Larry told her and gave her a wrapped gift.

It was a brand new pair of headphones. "I love it. Thank you so much. But you didn't have to give me anything. Seriously"

"Please. It is our pleasure. I thought of them when I noticed you could only listen with the left one. I figured the other one must be broken" Piper explained enjoying the fact Lux had liked their gift.

"Yeah, my ex-foster brother broke it, on purpose" Lux explained not wanting to ruin this already perfect day by remembering how awful that foster home had had been.

"Come on, get ready, we are late for breakfast"

The three of them went to a restaurant Piper couldn't stop gushing over during their car ride. When Lux went inside her eyes couldn't believe what she saw. There was a big banner with the words 'Happy Birthday Lux" written in the front and there was people greeting and congratulating her. It was a party, a party for her.

"Happy birthday, kid!" Alex said while hugging her. She then gave her a gift. It was a book "My mother gave me this book and it is my favorite one. Hope you like it as well"

Lux could swear her heart swell at such emotive gift. Being awaken under the roof of one of her mothers and now this gesture coming from the other one made her feel happy and loved for the first time in a very long time.

"We still don't know any of your friends so we invited our friends instead. Hope it is okay with you!" The tall brunette exclaimed "You already know Holly from the store the other day"

"Hey. My name is Polly. I think your little joke of changing my name has been expired for a long time by now" Polly cut in. She knew it was a joke but it wasn't really funny to her. Nothing coming from Supercunt's mouth could ever be funny to her.

"Anyways" Alex continued talking acting like she hadn't heard Polly at all. "This is Nicky my crazy best friend"

"Hey there! Happy birthday kiddo! I'm so very sorry for the boring party these two managed to throw you. A breakfast party, what kind of people does that?"

"Um excuse me. Grown-up people does" Piper said with animosity in her tone.

"Feisty. I already like your ex, Vause" Nicky pointed out.

At the mention of Piper and Alex's past relationship Larry cleared her throat and went to find Alex and proceed to introduce himself "Alex. Hi. I'm Larry, Piper's fiancé. It's nice to finally meet you" and then couldn't help to add "Wow you are tall"

"Likewise and yeah I've been told" The brunette was having the time of her life getting to see Lux all smiling and happy that she hadn't pay attention to the man that had entered with them.

A waitress came by with a big birthday cake. They all sang and told Lux she had to ask for a wish.

Lux let a laugh escape her mouth and after looking at both of her mothers and seeing them standing next to her, each one at one of her sides, she closed her eyes and blew out all of the candles. She didn't need to make a wish. She already had what she had always wished for. A family.

* * *

 **A/N 2: Next chapter will be about the home inspection and a little bit of a Lux's world will be revealed. Maybe she has a boyfriend. Would you guys like to see Alex and Piper reaction?**

 **Please leave a review on your thoughts about the story so far. I would really appreciate it.**

 **See you soon :)**


	5. Chapter 5 - Home Inspected

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the long time it took me to update. Work and life had been chaotic lately and aside from that it was a bit difficult to write this particular chapter. I wrote something and then rewrote it because I wasn't content with it.**

 **Again, thank you all so much for the favorites, follows and reviews. They are what keep me going with this story.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Samb06: I like your idea of them choosing a place to go together. It definitely is coming in some future chapter. I think you were right about the boyfriend so I decided not to introduce him, yet. However a friend of Lux makes an appearance in this chapter because I felt the need to establish Lux had had someone over the years with her. I mean poor girl if not, right? Thank you for taking the time to review every one chapter. And I've already told you but I loved your story and Liz as a character!**

 **Vausemaniac: I love Nicky too. I think she is hilarious on the show so I wanted for her to be the same in this story. I think you were right about the boyfriend so I decided not to introduce him, yet. Hope you like this update as well and let me say thank you for sticking with this story from day 1 and review each chapter so Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  
**

 **Zibbsfan05: Hope you like this update and still think this could get good and still can't wait for more hehe ; )  
**

 **Phantomjazz: When you said you would like to see Lux having a dream about Piper and Alex you meant it as in a flashback? That could be interesting and definitely keep that in mind for future chapters. Thank you!**

 **(Larry is disgusting) Guest: Fucking Larry, belive me I know, but don't worry I'm a vauseman fan so... ;)**

 **(NotPatient) Guest: I love you labeled this way so I could recognize you. Your patience is going to kill me for not updating in over a week, hope you're still hooked with this. I liked your idea of having Lux spending some time with each one of her mothers, there is something of that in this chapter and it'll certainly be more in the next one!**

 **(Damn my phone) Guest: Thank you for your kind words. You are so nice! Lux's world before reconnecting with Alex and Piper make and appearance in the form of a best friend in this chapter so hope you enjoy it!**

 **(Lux es un amor) Guest: Hola! Si, opino igual que tú. Lux es un amor y super dulce. Me encanta escribir su personaje porque siento que aunque tiene muchos sentimientos encontrados sobre todo lo que está viviendo le pone muchas ganas y de verdad desea intentarlo con Alex y Piper. Qué raro me resulta escribir en español acá jaja! Gracias por dejar un comentario!**

 **(Motherly Alex) Guest: Hi there! Thank you for leaving a review! This chapter is more from Alex side and explores Alex and Lux relationship a bit more so I hope you like it :)  
**

 **As always, all mistakes are mine. Happy reading!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Home Inspected**

It was about noon and they all were still celebrating Lux's birthday. The young girl couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Alex's best friend, Nicky, sure was hilarious while sober but she could definitely get even funnier a few mimosas later. According to her, a mimosa was the perfect breakfast drink.

"… And that is how Vause, here, and I met. Yes, prison isn't exactly the best environment to go and make a friend but we bonded through it and we've been partners" Nicky made a pause and instantly smirked at the astonished look Piper had on her face right now. She made a mental note to tease Alex about it and continued talking " _business_ partners, may I clarify, and friends since then. And from what I've seen today I can only congratulate you Lux. You, definitely, are in"

"I'm in? In what?" Lux amusingly asked.

"Our 'best buddies in da fucking world' club!" The messy-harried woman slurred the words with a wide smile.

"Wow, okay, no more mimosas for you" The brunette told her friend while taking the glass off of her hand.

"So Alex, you and Nicky co-own the bar then? Larry stepped in.

"No, I just work there. Nicky was being overly gracious when she said we were business partners" Deep down Alex knew the guy had asked innocently but she couldn't help to think he had wanted to embarrass her. "What about you? No 9 to 5 job, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Larry asked in confusion.

"I mean you are here having breakfast on a Tuesday morning" Alex replied arching her eyebrows at the same time.

Larry nodded. "I'm a writer and I'm sort of working on my own right now. You know, like freelance stuff. But even if I had a 9 to 5 job I certainly would had taken some time off for the birthday of my fiancée's child"

"I'm sure you would Larry. I'm sure you would" Alex thought the guy couldn't be more pathetic if he was trying to mark his territory by throwing the word fiancée a hundred times per minute. What a jerk.

"Well, this was great. But unfortunately we've to get going if we want Miss Birthday Girl over here to get on time for her last period at least" Piper nervously stepped in, running a hand through her hair.

"Oh man just when things with these two were starting to get spicy" Nicky growled and stood up "I'm going to take a cab and then a very long nap. Blame the mimosas for that. It was cool to meet you, kiddo, it's good to know Vause can do one thing right" Lux laughed while Alex rolled her eyes.

"Goodbye Lux, it was nice to meet you. Hope I see you by the store sometime" Polly enthusiastically said.

"See! They offer you a store. We offer you a bar. I meant it when I said we were the best club around" Nicky held up her hands with a grin.

"Thank you all for coming" Lux said with a sweet smile plastered all over her face "And thank you both for planning it. It really means a lot to me"

Piper was thrilled to see Lux being all-smiley and enjoying herself. She then threw a glance at Alex and felt her heart melt inside just from seeing the brunette adoringly looking at their daughter. She remembered that look from when Alex used it give it to her and she couldn't help to miss not being the recipient of that anymore.

"Alex, is it okay if we go to Lux's school in your car so Larry can take ours back home?" Piper asked. Alex nodded and they all waved goodbyes as they parted ways.

The school was located in a not so very nice neighborhood. They stepped out of Alex's truck and could already hear a few police sirens not far from there. Two young boys were having what it seemed to be a big disagreement about something at the building's front and when the bell rang a group of people went quickly running past them, one of them even pushing Piper on making her to almost fall down.

"Umm, do you want us to walk you in? Is everything cool?" Alex said with a little bit of concern about the place her daughter was getting an education from. If she was this worried she could only imagine what sort of perturbing thoughts were flashing over the blonde head right now.

"Ah, don't worry about it. If the state prison had a feeder school, this would be it" The young girl replied.

"I've to get ready for the home inspection. Nicky was supposed to help me out but since she got wasted this morning I think I will have to take care of it on my own. I can pick you up and drive you to Piper's though. What time do you need me to be here?" Alex asked. Lux could tell she was really nervous about the inspection so she came up with an idea but she needed to ask Piper first.

"Um… do you mind if I go to Alex's after school to lend a hand on her with this whole apartment check up thing? I mean… I would do the same thing for you but I think you already have everything under control"

"Oh my God, kid, that would be great" Alex exclaimed getting really excited. "And I could drive her to your house before I get to work" She told Piper while turning to her side to look at her.

"Uh yes, I think that will be okay" The older blonde agreed, she would be lying if she denied she kind of felt left out but she knew Lux was being super supportive of Alex so she decided to comply.

"Awesome, I will see you later. Bye!" Lux said and went inside the building.

"She is some thing else, right?" Even if she hadn't raised her, Alex couldn't help to feel proud about Lux as a person.

"Yeah, definitely. Um… are you free right now? 'Cause I was thinking we could maybe go for a coffee… you know… to catch up" Piper whispered almost like she was expecting a negative or an ironic response.

"Yes. I'd like that. Let's go" Alex nodded. She was surprised by her ex's invitation and a little bit nervous about what would they talk about.

They were already in the car looking for a coffee shop nearby Piper's store which she couldn't stop gushing about when her phone rang.

"Hey" Piper answered her it. "Um yeah we need that but buy the organic one, please. Oh and don't forget the beef for this new receipt I want to try… Okay, that's great, thank you" Alex chuckled after realizing the blonde still freaked out if something wasn't organic or healthy enough. She noticed Piper looking at her for a mere second and then abruptly turn her head to her side facing the truck's window.

"I love you too" Piper softly whispered. She didn't know why but she felt extremely guilty. Well, she _DID_ know why. Alex, her once love of her life, was sitting right next to her and there she was saying all this strong love words to another person.

Alex was actually getting all excited about the coffee because this was the very first time they were talking and not arguing since they'd reconnected. But then she heard it. _I love you too_. Deep down Alex knew she had no reason to get upset with Piper. She was engaged to fucking marry the man, of course she loved him. But all the logic in the world didn't make it any less hurtful.

"Sorry, I had to take that. Now turn left and we'll be there"

"Um… you know what? I just remembered I have to do this important thing and with the inspection and everything I don't think I have the time for a coffee right now. Maybe another time. Is it okay if I drop you here? You were going to the store after anyway, right?" Alex couldn't come up with a better excuse. She just wanted to be as far away as possible from the blonde right now.  
Piper loved another person and even if she knew the blonde one had every right to have moved on she couldn't avoid getting angry with her. And more than anything else she was angry with herself. It had been 15 years and Piper still had this hold on her. It sucked.

"Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?" Piper was shocked Alex was changing her mind and not even be sincere about it. It seemed to be a patron with them. When things were starting to improve something had to happen to leave them right back at square one.

"I just forgot about something I need to do. That's all" _'I forgot you have a fiancé now'_ Alex really wanted to say. _'I forgot you've moved on and I… I have not'_

* * *

Lux went straight to the lockers hall looking for Natasha. Tasha had been her best friend since they'd met at Sunnyvale, a foster care center when they were only eight years old.

"Tasha!" Lux called out while approaching her friend.

"Lux! Oh my God. I almost called the police. I had no idea where you were" The young brunette girl said with relief.

They skipped class and Lux told Tasha all the crazy events that had happened over the past few days.

"I can't believe this is happening. Lux, I was banking on this. I took off, I ran away from foster care. These are the same people who gave you up the first time around. How can the judge just put you back into their custody? Just like that? Did you fight it? Did you tell the judge about our plan?" Natasha was still in disbelief.

"For us to get emancipated and move in with our boyfriends? No, I didn't mention that. Living with two high school dropouts probably wouldn't have helped our case much" Lux answered and noticing the annoyed look she was receiving by her friend she continued talking "Tash, none of this was my fault. It's not like I wanted this"

"Okay, then get out of it. Tell the judge or whoever that they're unfit parents and that you don't want to be with them"

"Look, wherever I am, you know, you can still get emancipated" Lux stated.

"How? If they won't approve you, they'll never approve me. You're the one with the better grades, the better references, all the money saved. Your bank account was the key to the judge thinking we could afford our own place. We had a plan. You and me together. Do you remember? Together. You don't have to be stuck with these people. We can go get your stuff right now"

"Tash, I'm sorry. I really am but I think I want to give this Alex and Piper's thing a shot, okay? For the first time in my life I feel like somebody wants me. They even throw me a party today with a banner, a cake, candles and everything. When did we get the chance to have a normal birthday party, huh? Never"

"You've everything sorted out. That's great but I've to get back to Sunnyvale now. Enjoy your new blissful life. And happy birthday by the way" Natasha ironically said and fumingly disappeared.

* * *

Alex went to pick Lux up and already at her apartment they started to clean and organize some stuff. She didn't have a big space, so, she didn't have that much of stuff anyways.  
Life after prison had been hard on Alex. Looking for a nice job when you are en ex-convict can be a bit of difficult. Fortunately, Nicky had received some money from her loaded mother and decided to invest it in a bar offering Alex a job and her old apartment because the messy-haired girl was moving in with her then girlfriend to the loft located upstairs the bar.  
Over the years Alex had learned she could still have fun and enjoy life without all the commodities that come with being a wealthy heroin importer.  
So there they were mother and daughter trying to make a one-person apartment suitable for two in a matter of hours.

"Maybe if we put a small bed right here it could work out, right?" Lux didn't look one-hundred per cent convinced but she was trying to be optimistic about it.

Alex shook her head. "Kid, I don't think even the smallest bed of all can fit there"

"Yeah, probably not" The young girl agreed.

"Listen I've been thinking a lot and I've decided to use some of the money I have saved and look for a bigger place for the both of us. All we need to do is convince your caseworker this is only a temporary thing and it will be okay"

Lux was about to say she didn't have to go and spend her savings because of her when she noticed something she didn't expect. "Umm… Alex… I think it'll be best if you get rid of that a bong at least for the inspection, you know"

"Oh no no it's not a bong. Well it was once a bong but now" The brunette proceeded to press a button and it lit up "it is turned into a lamp. Impressive, huh? It was Nicky's and I've to say I've become quite fond of it. I love to read, remember? But maybe you're right and I will take it to Nicky's just for one day"

"Cool! Nicky is the best!" Lux said with a big toothy grin and then continued talking in a much serious tone. "Speaking of her, I think it's amazing you two met under such hard circumstances. I've been feeling kind of bad because I compared my school to a federal prison earlier today and I… I don't' know… I don't want you to think I was trying to belittle your experience or anything"

"Are you kidding me? It never occurred to me you were trying to minimize anything. I was kinda worried of discussing this topic with you but I think you deserve to know the story from myself. I was imprisoned because I used to work for an international drug cartel as heroin importer. Prison was probably the worst time of my life and it changed everything but I've made my peace with it. It was necessary for me to pay for the illegal and bad shit I had done in the past. I'm not proud of the kind of person I used to be or the decisions I used to make. I guess I was blinded by the easy money and the power and adrenaline it made me feel to be in charge but" Alex, then, softly grabbed both of Lux hands "It's really important to me for you to know I've changed since then and I've never will do anything like that again. I won't lose you again."

"Don't worry, I know. In fact, I was surprised to learn you were and ex-convict back at my hearing. From what I had seen I knew you were kind of a bad-ass but couldn't picture you as someone who had committed a crime. It must have been so awful to leave everything behind and go to prison. I can only imagine"

Alex tightened her jaw and looked down to the floor "Yeah, it was. It was hard to leave behind one person in particular"

"Piper" The young blonde acknowledged.

"Yes" Alex muttered, her voice sounding almost like a whisper. "Anyways, I've meaning to ask you, are you sure you are only 16? Because you certeinly are very mature for your young age. I'm proud of you, kid"

Lux was so happy over listening Alex being proud of her. She smiled big-time and replied. "Haha. Yes, I'm sure. Life was hard on me so I had to toughen up, I guess. And thank you for telling me about prison. I feel like I can talk about everything with you"

"I feel the same way about you, kid. And you should know by now I'll always be here for anything you need, okay?" Alex really wanted to hug her right now. So, she did.

* * *

It was Wednesday morning and Piper was at the kitchen making some oatmeal for breakfast when all of the sudden the land phone rang and she went to answer it.

"Hello. Oh, hi, mom how are you?... Yes, yes, everything is fine…. Mmm-hmm… no, nothing new no, Larry is about to get some work done and I'm on my way out to the store now… Yes I'll tell him you said hi… okay mom, you too. Bye"

After she hang up she could feel every inch of herself being inflected with guilt. She so wanted to tell her mother about Lux but that meant she had to explain everything from the beginning and she wasn't ready to be the Chapman's biggest disappointment all over again.  
During the whole time Piper was with Alex, her relationship with her family was strained. They didn't approve of 'that lifestyle' as her mother used to refer about her lesbian relationship.  
After they'd broken up and since she'd gotten engaged with Larry they had started to talk and visit again trying to move forward leaving any resentful feeling in the past.

Meanwhile, Fern was already at Alex's apartment which had never been so clean and organized so far.  
However, judging from the caseworker first look around the place, Alex knew she was going to need her, as Nicky liked to call,' Vause charm' at her highest if she wanted to get an approval from this lady today.

"So this is the bedroom, living-room and kitchen all together. And the bathroom is right there" The brunette said while pointing a door out.

"I see, what about a bed for Lux? Fern asked.

"As you can see this is a very small place but I'm planning on renting a bigger one now that there's gonna be two of us. In the meantime, Lux can sleep with me in the master bed. I already talked to her and she was okay with it. It's only temporary, of course"

Mm-hmmm" Fern murmured. "I don't see any smoke detector alarm around"

"Oh, I haven't worked that out yet but I can assure you I'll get to it as soon as possible" The brunette stated.

"You see, the purpose of these home visits is to make sure that Lux's safety won't be compromised and that she is in an environment that is appropriate for a teenager. Now, Piper has already given me her paperwork, but I'm waiting for a copy of your medical records and a list of references who can vouch for your ability to parent" Fern was saying when she suddenly freezed in one place."Is that a bong?"

Alex felt so stupid right now. She apparently had forgotten to take the bong-lamp to the bar last night. "Oh, no, no. It was once a bong but it's turned into a lamp now. This was a gift, a very special gift from a very irresponsible person" She was nervously rambling now. _Perfect._

"I'm gonna look around some more" The caseworker firmly stated and judging from her voice tone she was far away from granting Alex with an approval.

"Okay" The brunette replied while tensing up. Everything wasn't turning out like she was expecting to be.

* * *

The bell rang and Lux was relieved classes were over for the day. She was extremely worried about Tasha though. She hadn't heard from her since their fight the day before and was expecting to see her on class but Tasha had missed school. Again. There were days that if it wasn't for Lux Tasha wouldn't even care to go to class.

She started to feel guilty about the whole situation. Maybe it wasn't right for her to have a real chance of a family and let her friend to bear alone with all the government crap. After all Tasha had been at her side for almost all of her life and their birth mothers didn't. ' _But Alex didn't know about you',_ she thought. Lately, she had been juggling with the idea of what had happened if at the time Alex had known about her existence.

She exited the building and saw Alex in her trunk ready to take her to Piper's.

"Hey! So? Spill! How did it go?"

"I don't know, Lux. I was just telling Piper over the phone that I think this Fern chick doesn't like me, or my tiny-shitty apartment or my even shittier job" Alex was really frustrated. "Ugh I'm sorry kid I've been really anxious about it all of the friggin' day. Let's do something fun. You know, when I was your age my mother taught me how to drive. Wanna give it a try?"

"Umm… Are you sure? I haven't even taken driver's ed yet" The young girl got excited but she didn't want to get both of them into trouble.

"Yeah, well, the sooner you learn how to drive, the sooner you can apply to get a license. Get in here. Come on" They switched places and Alex started to explain the basic stuff. She must have given her some good tips because Lux got the hang of it really quickly.

They were approaching Piper's house at a steady speed but Alex didn't count for the blond one to be on the front lawn working in the garden.  
Piper saw Alex's truck and kept working on a plant but immediately went to look again just to check she was imagining things. She wasn't crazy after all. Not even a little. The crazy one would be her always impulsive ex-girlfriend who apparently had not one bit of responsibility at all.

"Why is she driving? Why is she driving?! Alex, are you drunk?" Piper rapidly stood up and began to yell at them.

"Hey, she's fine. She's cool. Just relax. She knows what she's doing" Alex yelled back and then spoke directly to Lux "Okay, so now that we are near the sidewalk you're gonna downshift" She didn't get to finish the sentence because she noticed the car accelerating rather than slowing down. "Not the gas, the brake. Not the gas! Not the gas!"  
Lux was panicking by now and didn't even know what pedal she was pushing on. The car went up the sidewalk and crashed onto one of Piper's big flowerpot.

"Oh, oh, my Oh Oh, my God, are you okay?" Alex worriedly asked her daughter.

"Oh, my God, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I was fine and suddenly I got all nervous and my mind went blank"

It had been a small crash, they were fine, the truck didn't even get a dent but the blonde was raging with anger by now.  
"Were you dropped on your head as a child, or is there something diagnosable wrong with you? It's like you know the social worker's on her way up here, and so what do you do? You have Lux drive up. It's like you're actually trying to sabotage everything and screw this up" Piper made a pause and then she had a realization look all over her face. "Oh, my God, you _are_ actually trying to screw this up. Deep down, you don't really want this, do you? That's why you forgot the home smoke alarm, right? Oh and the bong and didn't even got a bed for her. You're actually trying not to get approved. Admit it; you're in over your head.  
You don't want to be a parent. You don't want a kid, just admit it"

"Like you do?" Lux snapped. "I heard you on the phone today. You were talking to your mother, and when she asked if there was any news you didn't tell her about me. You did it again. You neglected me again"

Piper eyes went glassy while listening to her daughter feel rejected by her. What had she done? Why seemed like she couldn't do one thing right with this girl? She was about to explain herself and comfort Lux when Alex cut her off "Guys, the caseworker is here"

Fern had already inspected Piper house and they all three -Piper, Alex and Fern- were now sitting at the table in the living room.

"My job is to determine how viable of an option this is" Fern stated with concern in her voice.

"We understand, but don't… don't let the, uh, the thing on the front lawn, you know, fool you. We've been doing great" Alex vigorously lied. Thinking that Lux could be sent away because she thought it would be fun for the kid to drive, was torturing her. She had to fix this right now.

"Seriously, what I saw out there, the way you treated… I don't think you even like each other so, what makes you think you can co-parent? I am speaking with the judge in the morning. And even without talking to Lux. I am reluctant to recommend that that state allows her to be placed in your care"

After walking Fern out, Piper took a moment to recollect herself and her thoughts. _No more running away_ she had told Larry the other day and yet when she should have told her mother about Lux she panicked and lied. It seemed to be one lie to another lately and she could understand Lux being mad at her. She, of course, hadn't done it on propose but in one way or another had neglected her. And that was not okay.

So, she turned around and looked at Alex in the eye. "I need to say something. I think Lux has been through more than either one of us realize, and if I don't find a way to get approved for custody of her, I literally will not be able to live with myself; I'm just not going to turn her away twice, so if you want to walk away now is the time to do it, but I won't"

"Piper, I mean it, I don't. I will do whatever you want. I'll take her to school every day. She can stay at my place. We can split time with her 50/50. I don't… I don't want to be that person who bails. Not again. I want to be a mom. And I want to do this with you. I mean, not like with you, with you. I mean, I know you're with Larry, and I definitely know how you feel about me. And whatever happened between us that's in the past. And the only thing that matters between us now is Lux"

And for the very first time in a very long time they, FINALLY, were agreeing on something.

* * *

 **A/N 2: Oh I love me some cliffhanger. Will they get approved and get Lux back or not? What do you think of Alex and Lux bond over this chapter? Piper and Lux relationship will be explored a bit more in the next one.  
Also for all the Vauseman fans out there, they are little by little coming together, it will take a bit more time but they will get there... if you catch my drift ;) They were about to get some coffee and fucking Larry had to ruin everything, man, i hate myself sometimes but don't worry everything will start to come around.  
**

 **Please leave a review on your thoughts about the story so far. I would really appreciate it!**

 **See you soon :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6 - Everything Illuminated

**A/N: Hello dear people who reads this! Hope you had a nice day!**

 **Here it is chapter 6. Hope you are ready for some Lux and Piper bond. I enjoyed writing their relationship in this one, so, happy reading!**

 **Reviews:**

 ** _Samb06:_ Hey! As always thank you for your kind words! Alex and Lux are adorable together, right? Let me know what you think of this one. On a side note I'm very anxious to read the second chapter of your story!**

 **Hanna: Hope you enjoy this chapter. I like you liked Tasha ;) Thank you!**

 **(Español) Guest: Tranquila! Lux vino para quedarse ;) Gracias por dejar un comentario. Luego me cuentas que te ha parecido este!**

 **Vausemaniac: Hey there! You're right Tasha can be a way of knowing about what Lux thinks of her mothers. There is a little bit of Tasha tonight and I think it makes Piper realize of some important things. Who knew teenagers could be so mature, lol. As usually thank you for your continued support. Your reviews definitely keep me going with this story!**

 **SheriLovey: Hi! Thank you for the kind words! I love that you love the story! Let me know what you think of this update!**

 **(Notpatient) Guest: Aww I love your kind and positive reviews. They never fail to make me smile! You know, I used to ask myself the very same questions about how would Alex and Piper act as parents. Hope I'm doing them justice!**

 **WB79: Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! Hope you like the new chapter as well!**

 **(Awesome update) Guest: I think you are gonna like this one because it does explore Piper and Lux relationship. And I'm with you when you said Lux still blames her for everything but hopefully they will get pass it. Thank you so much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Everything Illuminated**

"Hi. Sorry. We're so sorry to just show up like this. The front desk lady said that you'd be here" Alex approached Fern with Piper by her side.

"Right, we just… we really need to talk to you before you meet with the judge" Pursing her lips, Piper narrowed her eyes.

"Here's the paperwork you asked me for. T's crossed and I's dotted. It is all here" The brunette handed the caseworker lady a big yellow envelope.

"Look, an ambush is not the way to win your child back" Fern stated with a relentless tone in her voice but proceeded to check the envelope anyway.

"Before you say anything else, you have got to hear us out" Piper firmly spoke up. She looked Fern right in the eye and added "Okay, so, we are no soccer moms and we barely know what we are doing most of the time. But, yeah, we're here. And, we're just not gonna go anywhere until you approve us"

"Piper, listen, I…" Fern began to speak but the blonde one was far away from finishing what she wanted to say. "No, you listen. I gave her up 16 years ago because someone in your department promised me that there would be someone great to adopt her, and no one did. And if you would've left her with us 16 years ago, I mean, how can you not leave her with us now? She has been in seven foster homes, and she has hated every single one of them. Are they really that much better than our homes? Are we that much worse? Because we can make room for her"

"Get as many smoke alarms it's required, no bong-lamp, and no more fights on the front lawn" Alex cut in feeling the need to stress she was committed to her daughter too.

"Look, we don't have it all worked out yet, you know? But we can give her the one thing that no one else ever has: love" Piper spoke softly in a warm voice.

"At this point, I think I would recommend joint custody, but I can't. I just interviewed Lux. She has requested to return to Sunnyvale Home for Girls. I'm so sorry"

"What?" Both Alex and Piper asked in confusion.

Alex and Piper decided not to freak out _YET_ and start looking for her young and without no doubt impulsive daughter. Yes, it was true they had screwed things up with all the bickering, the lying and the fighting that occurred most of the time but they thought Lux could see past it and appreciate the fact they both were trying. However, it was clear there was neither time nor place to just try. They had to start making some real progress. Everything was depending on it.

Piper had gone to her house hoping to find Lux there. She was not but all of her stuff was. After going through it she found and address. Having no idea where the young blonde could be, Piper decided to give it a shot. "Hi. I'm Piper one of Lux's mother. I found this address in her stuff. Is she here?"

"Oh. Which one are you? The one that is engaged or the one that went to prison?" An unimpressed brunette teen answered the door. It was Natasha, Lux's best friend. "If you're looking for Lux, she's not here. She took off with Bug"

"Bug?" Piper's eyebrows shot up with intrigue.

"Her boyfriend"

"Wow. Okay, um… well, then, when she gets back, have her call me. Please"

"Sorry. I've got one way ticket back to a foster's home. We don't all have a mom, oh, no, wait, _TWO_ moms who are going to appear out of nowhere and save us, you know?" Sarcastic comments seemed to be a patron in Lux and Lux's circle of friends, Piper thought.

"She is going with you. We just talked to her caseworker and she said Lux had requested to go there" The blonde said looking really anxious. She desperately wanted to fix things up.

"Well, I don't know anything about that, so... you already know where the door is" Natasha answered with a shrug.

Piper was already walking out when she turned herself around and added "Can I ask you something? Do you think she's better off? You know, holding out for someone else?"

"You mean someone who doesn't deny her existence to her own mother because she is a coward?" Tasha angrily responded. She then sighed and continued talking in a much softer voice. "Lux and I, we've been friends since we were little, since we were eight. We met at Sunnyvale. We used to get in trouble. Well, I used to get in trouble for everything, getting sick, crying; they'd punish me by making me drink spoonfuls of Tabasco sauce. And Lux, she, uh, she collected change from under the couch in the lobby, and after, like, a month, she saved enough to replace the Tabasco with tomato sauce which was way less spicy. It was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me to this day. We were going to get emancipated and move in together. Here. That was the plan"

Suddenly, they heard a car's horn coming from outside. The young brunette grabbed all of her things and said it was probably her social worker so they needed to go. Already inside the car, Tasha lowered the window and spoke directly to Piper. "Try the Avenue Park. She likes to go there when she feels she's in over her head. And for the record, the answer's no, okay? Lux, she's been with a lot of really crappy people, people way worse than you. And even if there was some great person out there who really wanted her, you still have one thing they don't. You're her mom. To people like us? That's everything"

* * *

Relief. That's what Piper felt when she saw Lux's form sitting on a bench on the Avenue Park. This park really was something else. She couldn't remember ever being there but it seemed to be clean, quiet and beautiful.

"Hey Lux! Are you okay? Oh my god. I'm so glad I found you" She quickly went to approach her. All of the things Natasha had told her were still echoing inside her head.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Lux was astonished. This was her special place. Only few people knew she liked to go there.

"I'm here to take you home, if you let me. And your friend Natasha filled me in about this place. I can see why you like it. It's very peaceful" The older blonde said while sitting next to Lux on the bench.

"Listen Piper I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've decided the best thing to do is for me to go back to the Foster Care System and for you and Alex to keep going with your life as it was before you met me"

"Okay, I hear you but I think you're lying. I think you want to get to know us and be a family and even love us at some point but you're afraid we're going to abandon you again and turn our backs on you so you're bailing on us now before you get burnt. Believe me, I know the sensation of not feeling good enough which makes you wanna run away and don't even give it a chance. I used to do it all the time. I still do sometimes"

"Yeah, but can you blame me? I grew up alone thinking nobody wanted me. I used to think all the time that one day my moms were going to come and rescue me, regretting having given me up. Now, I know Alex didn't even know about me but you certainly did, and you never even checked. You never wondered what had happened? If I was okay?" Lux said between sobs.

"I didn't really think that I had to worry. You know, because they told me that you were gonna be adopted. That you were gonna have a better life. I really... I really thought that I was doing what was right for you" Piper tried to explain. But she couldn't exactly concentrate seeing her daughter shedding tears because of herself.

She then took a moment to compose and after wiping away her own tears of her face she spoke to Lux, fixing her eyes into hers "Listen, I know that you've been through a lot in your life, and I have a lot to learn about being with you. I'm not gonna be good at this overnight. In fact, it's probably gonna take a while. And I'm not gonna lie either. I'm also scared. Terrified, actually but I'm committed to you. Please, Lux you've to believe me when I say I'm not going anywhere this time. I swear"

"Okay"

"Okay?"

"Okay take me home" Piper couldn't help to burst into one big relieving laughter before going near Lux and hugging her really tight. She stepped back from the hug just one second to wipe her daughter tears away from her face and went to embrace her again. She was so happy. And almost without realizing it Piper was, finally, starting to feel and act as what she was. A mother. _Lux's mother._

After they went back to Piper's house, together, they called Alex to let her know she was okay and then Fern to make the proper arrangements for the Court session that would be taking place tomorrow.

* * *

A new shiny day had come. The hearing had ended just a few minutes ago resulting in a positive outcome. They'd been granted with temporary joint custody. Temporary because at this point Lux was considered a warden of the state meaning they had to go through the process like any other foster parent. The passing of certain amount of time and series of meetings with the caseworker were some of the requirements they had to fill in before applying for a permanent custody.

"Everything will be written and made formal tomorrow" Already at the Court's front; Fern was explaining how this temporary custody thing will go down. "You've met the qualifications as foster parents and will be granted the joint custody of Lux"

Alex, Piper and Lux looked at each other with joy and content all over their faces.

"There is one condition tough. Piper, you will be Lux's primary caregiver" Fern stated.

"Oh, what… what does that mean?" Piper asked in confusion.

"That means you both will have to come up with a schedule for each one of you to spend a fair amount of time with your daughter but Lux is only allowed to live at Piper's. Now, maybe eventually, that can change, but for now, after what I've seen, it's my recommendation" After understanding what Fern meant Alex immediately shook her face and stared at the ground not wanting to expose her disappointment to everyone.

"Congratulations, all of you" Fern exclaimed.

"Thank you Fern. None of it would have been possible without your help" Lux ecstatically hugged her.

"Yes, thank you very much. We appreciate your support" It was Piper's turn to get all excited and hug the caseworker lady.

"Thank you" Alex stepped in and shook Fern's hand.

"You're welcome. Good luck and talk you soon"

* * *

It was quiet afternoon at Poppy's. Piper was making herself useful by organizing some of the products they had in stock at the back when she heard Polly speaking at her in a loud questioning voice.

"Hey, doesn't Lux go to Longfellow High School?"

"Yeah, why?" Piper replied while approaching her friend who was reading something on the internet.

"It's shut down. It's on the local AP here" Polly turned around the computer so her friend could read too.

"Oh, my God. A gang fight? That is crazy" A frenetic Piper exclaimed as she looked up for her car keys. "I've to go get her. Call you later!"

Already inside the car she connected her cell phone to the hands-free device and started to drive to Lux's school while making a thousand calls. She was freaking out over the whole situation and nobody answered her. She then remembered Alex had given her the bar's number because she usually spends a lot of time there either working or just hanging out at Nicky's loft, so she decided to give it a try.

"Open Bar. Hello" Lux sweet voice answered.

"Oh, my God, thank God you're there. We need to get you a cell phone. I heard what happened. I tried the school. I called Alex. I left her a zillion messages. She never called me back. Why are you at Nicky's bar? Wait… is it really called Open Bar" No one in their right minds would name a bar just 'Open Bar' but Piper knew Alex's friend was a little eccentric, for the lack of a better word.

"Piper, it's fine. Alex picked me up. This kind of thing happens all the time. I guess this time there was just more blood. We're at Nicky's playing cards. And yes it is called Open Bar"

"Look, I need to do something right now, okay? I'll pick you up from the bar later" Piper ended the phone conversation and turned the car around to another direction.

When she finally reached destination she took a moment to think about what she was going to do. Here she was acting by impulsiveness and deciding everything by herself. _AGAIN_. She was about to call Alex and ask for her opinion when she saw her old Principal walking right in front of her.

"Oh, Ms. Merman, hi! Oh, my God, it's been forever. I was actually, um, just coming into the main office to talk to you. I'm Piper Chapman, Class of '94. Valedictorian"

"Oh, Danny's sister" The Principal now remembered.

"Or that" Piper snorted back. Deep down, she'd always felt like her big 'does everything right' brother's shadow. "Yeah, um, I'm actually here to enroll a new student to start tomorrow"

"Well, sure. Come on" The Principal said and started to walk to her office with Piper following her. 'Alex will have to agree on this one with me, I guess' The blue-eyed blonde thought.

* * *

The blonde arrived to an already crowded bar a while later feeling like a proud mom because she's gotten her child a better education. She herself has gone to Westomonte. It was a great school known for the empowerment of the young minds. She knew Lux won't be happy at first but she'll get used to it eventually. Going back to a gang filled school wasn't an option.

Nicky, who was behind the bar told her Alex and Piper were upstairs at the loft. So she went that way.

"How could you just transfer me to Westmonte just like that? How?" The younger blonde definitely hadn't taken the change of schools very well.

"Um, well, because it's my alma mater, I have connections, so… We also live in the district"

"I meant, without even asking me" Lux couldn't believe she didn't have a say in all of this.

"Okay, look, I know that it's scary to think of a new school and new friends"

"I don't care about new friends. I care about Natasha. I'm the only reason she even goes to school. It's the only time I get to see her, now that she's at Sunnyvale and I'm across town"

"I know you do, but there really was not much of a choice. I promise you, I am just looking out for your best interests. And I got you this" Piper handed her a wrapped gift. Lux opened it without an ounce of enthusiasm. It was a cell phone.

"See? Now, the two of you, you guys can keep in touch" Piper shot her a big smile.

"Not really. She used to have a cell, but now she has to use the payphone at Sunnyvale if she wants to talk"

"Okay, well, then, it's It's not just for Natasha. It's for us, too. That way, we can, you know, text during the day, and I've already programmed my number in here and Alex's. Larry's. You can add Nicky's too"

"I'll be downstairs" And she proceeded to walk out the loft.

Piper quickly intended to go after her but she felt a hand grabbing her own. It was Alex's. "Let her get some air. Cool it down, you know?"  
In all truth it took forever to Piper to answer because she could not stop thinking about the white palid hand that was touching hers right there. Memories of them laying in a bed hands intertwined flashed through her mind. She couldn't believe how much a small touch could provoke in a body if it comes from that right one person.

"You don't seem mad I didn't ask for your opinion tough" Piper said while staring at her ex's eyes, looking for a sign that showed she was feeling the same kind of thing as her right now.

"A heads-up would've been nice I guess but I wasn't fond of her previous school either. I was thinking to talk about it with you but I'm glad you went ahead of me and did everything 'cause now she is mad only at you" Alex teased with a goofy grin.

"Ha-Ha. You're welcome. Do you sometime feel like you can't get done even one thing right at this motherhood thing? I mean, come on, I know that she's a teenager, but is she supposed to hate me this fast?" Piper genuinely asked.

"You can't punish yourself over that. She is just grumpy because she thinks she isn't going to see her friend anymore. She'll get over it" Alex reassured her blond ex and added "She is very mature, you know. I even talked to her about the prison time"

"You talked to her about the Drug Cartel as well? Wow, you are brave"

"Yes, I did. I told her I'm not proud of my past and that I'm a different person now. And she understood me. She is very supportive. I think she inherited that from you"

"You've clicked so well. I was right back when we were together when I said you were gonna be the best mother ever" Piper said.

Alex smile grew wider while she remembered what the blonde had said back when they were contemplating the idea of having a child. Now that they did have the child it was tremendously comforting to hear those same words coming from Piper mouth. She also noticed a sweet look pass trough Piper's eyes which made her feel warm inside.

They were both brought back from their own thoughts when the door opened revealing a very attractive red-hair woman who approached Alex. "Hey! There you are! I was looking for you. Are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Hey. This is Piper. Piper this is Olivia. Um… She works at the bar as well" The brunette said awkwardly.

"Hello. Nice to meet you" Piper replied in a low voice. Who the hell was this Olivia girl and why was she talking about doing something with Alex tomorrow.

"Oh you are Lux's other mother? Nice to meet you too! She is a cool kid" The red-haired woman said while grabbing Alex's shoulder with one of her hands.

Seeing that gesture Piper could feel rage coming from her inside. Was this Alex's girlfriend or just a friend? Maybe this Olivia girl was just a very touchy-feely person? Either way she knew she had no right to get jealous. She had moved on too. She had Larry now. And Alex was entitled to have every woman on earth, right? "Well, I think I'm gonna get Lux and go home. Have fun you two tomorrow"

'Was that a sarcastic comment coming from pure jealousy?' Alex thought. She could remember how mad and jealous Piper got whenever she had to flirt with women to recruit mules for the cartel. In fact, the majority of their arguments around that time were about that. What Piper seemed not to get was that in reality Alex had only had eyes for her. She had only loved her.

* * *

After having dinner Lux was getting the couch ready to get some sleep.

"Lux. Come here, please. I've a surprise for you"

The girl sighed and reluctantly stood up to go meeting Piper. When she entered the room her eyes were mesmerized about the whole thing.

"Welcome to you new room. I hope you like it" Piper flashed one of her already known trade-mark perfect pearly white smile

Lux was wordless. She had never had her own room before. The walls were painted green her favorite color and there were posters of her favorite bands as well, there was a big bed, a wardrobe filled with new clothes, a desk, and something with made her smile grew even wider. A bong-lamp. Alex's bong-lamp was there on the bed table. The girl was thrilled with her new room.

"You like?" Piper softly asked.

"I _LOVE_ it. Thank you!" Lux exclaimed.

"Could your liking your room so much mean you're a little less mad at me?" The older woman joked trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm sorry for not asking you about the change of schools but you have to understand I totally freaked out when I heard about the gang fight"

Lux nodded like she, at some point, understood where she was coming from. She then proceed to lie in the bed. _Her bed_. And Piper gently tucked her in.

"You know, I really like your name. Who gave it to you?" Piper had been meaning to ask about it since they had met.

"A nurse. It means light. It was because of the blonde hair I guess"

"I guess... Good night Lux" Piper replied while thinking this nurse had to be some kind of a visionary or something because since she had met Lux every little detail of her life had been, in fact, _ILLUMINATED_.

* * *

 **A/N 2: Please leave a review on your thoughts about the update or the story so far. Reviews are what keep me going with writing and uploading new chapters so I would really appreciate it.**

 **And if there is something you would like to see, let me know so I can start thinking a way of making that happen.**

 **See you soon :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7 - Problem Resolved

A/N: Hello you guys! I think it's been about 6 months since I've written something so first of all let me apologize for not updating. It's been probably the most busiest months of my life but other than that, I've no excuse.

Thank you for the reviews that kept coming even if the story seemed not likely to be updated. A few days ago I decided to read them all and it was what got me inspired to write another chapter.

Hope I don't disappoint any of you and as always my most sincere wish is for you to enjoy :)

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any character. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Problem Resolved**

It's been a month since Lux showed up in their lives. A month since theirs respective worlds turned upside down, but, in the greatest possible way ever.  
Lux was slowly settling into her new life. She would wake up every morning, have a nice and quiet breakfast with Piper and Larry, go to her new school and befriend new girls. Alex would pick her up later, they'd hang out, preferably on a different place than the bar, until she would return for dinner to Piper's. Yeah, all of this would happen if they followed the strict and perfectly detailed time schedule designed by no other than Piper herself.  
The thing is life is complicated and hard.  
Let's rephrase. Life as a teenager is super complicated and hard.  
Let's rephrase again. Life as a teenager/former orphan/child of two women whit lots of unfinished issues/new at a school with the meanest girls in the whole world whose most serious problem was like finding a perfect birthday present to their boyfriends is indeed super, tremendous, mega hard.

Despite all of this, every night Lux closes her eyes and remembers how very easy she is finding it to spend time with both of her mothers, how cool and comforting they are. She is perfectly aware the so-called complicated life is the same one that gives her the opportunity to get to know them and be a family which makes everything worth it. So she sleeps calm and warm like she never used to.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Piper heard the unique raspy voice of her ex girlfriend ask her.

"I'm signing up for cheerleading. What do you think I'm doing here? I'm picking up Lux. We have plans" Anyone thinking that a month would smooth things over Alex and Piper's strained relationship was in fact, wrong.

"No. Why? School's my gig and we have plans too"

"Plans? Like yesterday plans? When you and Nicky stuffed her with junk food and an uncountable number of sodas. No... I'm sorry. We are having dinner with my mother and Larry's parent tonight. You should've asked me earlier" Piper's lecturing high pitched voice was the worst.

"Oh, okay. Like the heads up you gave me when you yanked her out of Longfellow and enrolled her here?"

"Yeah. To get her away from criminals and gang members" A boy riding a motorcycle with a weird and scary tattoo on his neck parked at the school entry. "People like that" Piper finished saying while pointing to the boy.

Alex was about to reply and Piper was surely getting ready to answer back when they both saw Lux coming out and kiss no other than the boy in the motorcycle and, let's rewind, a GIANT spider tattoo on his neck.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Get your lips off of her! You with the bike!" Alex yelled while slow running to meet them.

"Back away from the girl!" Piper followed.

"Are these your mothers?" The boy smirked and asked.

"Let's say no" The young blonde ashamedly replied.

"Yes.I am her mom. So back it up, little dude" Possessive and overprotecting, but in a sweet way, was one of the favorite Alex's personality qualities of Piper. She can be very territorial with the people she loves.

"Alex, relax. We were just hanging out" Lux said, trying to calm her mother down.

"Just 'hanging out'? That's how you hang out? You let some random guy suffocate you with his mouth?" Alex immediately cut her off.

"He's not some random guy" Lux defended herself, again. Having a over protective mother was resulting anything but fun.

"Wait, wait. Is this Bug? The boyfriend?" Piper asked remembering the talk she had had with Natasha.

After the young blonde nodded an astonished Alex turned to look at Piper for some kind of explanation. "You knew about this? And you didn't feel the need to over share?"

"I only knew that his name was Bug" It was now Piper's turn to defend herself. Alex was on a row here.

"Okay. A guy named Bug didn't raise some concerns?" She questioned with a serious look on her face. "No offense, pal" She then said to the boy.

"Nobody needs to be concerned. He just came to pick me up. We're going to go hang out, grab some dinner. I'll be home by 10:00. Don't worry"

"Lux, honey, I came here to pick you up 'cause we are having dinner with my mother and Larry's parents tonight at our house"

"And I came here to pick you up, as usual may I add, 'cause I wanted to take you and Olivia out to thank her for helping me to find a new apartment where you can actually stay, you know"

"And Bug came to pick me up because he is my boyfriend and I haven't seen him in ages so why don't we all have dinner at Piper's tonight. See? Problem resolved. See you there" And just like that their young and apparently not so innocent of a child climbed the motorcycle, put on a helmet and disappeared.

* * *

Back at Piper and Larry's house everything was ready but Piper herself. She literally couldn't think of a way of pulling this off. Dinner with Carol Chapman, the Blooms, this Olivia girl who works in the Bar with Alex and Bug the tattooed boyfriend screamed AWKWARD and MADNESS out loud. That were the only plausible words to describe this evening. Although disastrous could work too.

To say Piper was extremely nervous was an understatement. What was Lux even thinking when she decided she would meet her grandmother in front of this other people. Okay granted, two of these 'other people' were her other mother which has every right to be present and her boyfriend who may or not may last another week but who the hell is this Olivia girl Alex had invited. Piper heard she had helped her raven haired of an ex finding an apartment and she knows she works at the Bar too. So, option 1: she is great at everything and can be a real estate agent by day and a bartender by night or option 2: she is great at everything, really no doubt on that, but also she is after Alex which would been okay if it didn't evoked some sort of sick jealousy deep down her.

Feeling a little nauseous over the thought of her past lover settling down with the red haired girl she had met a month ago at Nicky's loft she was about to go inside the kitchen when she heard Lux talking to Bug. She didn't want to be nosy but couldn't help to wonder why Lux was telling her boyfriend not to worry about anything because she was going to help him. Just when she was a about to inquire what were they talking about the bell door rang.

Larry opened the door to find the one and only Carol Chapman and her loving parents standing outside. _Here we go_ , Piper thought.

"Oh, my gosh. You must be Lux. Oh, you're gorgeous. Oh, God, I can't believe how much you look like Piper. And you have my hair" Everyone, Lux included, was surprised Carol Chapman was being nice to her. She never knew the woman but given the fact Piper was so hesitant to tell her about her existence in the first place she didn't trust her at all.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you. Our son Larry told us so much about you. Oh, it's like looking in the mirror, you are a mini-Piper" Lux smiled nervously at the Blooms. They seemed kind people but it wasn't habitual for her to receive so much compliments and attention. Everything was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Thank God she had Bug with her.

"Well yes, she and 'Older Blondie' really look alike but please notice the big and cute green eyes thing going on, totally my friend over here, so give her some credit, please" Seems good ole Nicky had showed up.

"Nicky, you came!" Lux smile grew wider. Finally someone she cared about came to the dinner. She didn't want to be disrespectful with Piper and Larry's families but when you spend some years on Foster Care you attach to a very few people cause you don't want to get even more disappointed with life. She definitely had made room for Piper and Alex and she knew there was infinite space on her heart for her grandparents but she didn't wanna rush everything and be hurt over it. _Baby steps_.

"Nicky, how nice of you to join us" Sarcastic Piper mode-on.

"You know me Blondie, I never miss the fun and your almost panicking face tell me I'm not gonna be disappointed tonight. So thank you in advance" Alex softly slapped her friend and told her to stop being such an ass while mouthing a silent 'sorry' to Piper.

Carol, interrupted their interaction dragging her daughter by the arm to the kitchen. And with the vilest expression she said "Honey, I thought we agreed to meet and the possibility to be a grandmother to your daughter but I thought I made myself clear years ago when I told you I didn't want anything to do with your criminal 'friend'. And frankly I thought you had moved on too but apparently not because here she is acting like nothing happened"

"Mom please, you know she is Lux's other mother. I'm with Larry now but under no circumstance I'm gonna deny Alex to be a part of OUR daughter's life, okay? You are here to meet your granddaughter. So, can you please, please, please keep the arrogance to a minimum?" Standing up for Alex in front her mother made her feel like she used to 17 years ago. Crazy in love with her. Except this time she wasn't doing it for her love for Alex, she was doing it for Lux. Right? Or at least that was she kept telling herself. This had to be all for Lux. Alex and her… they were over.

Back in the living room Amy, Larry's mother was embarrassing Lux, Bug and why not everyone on the house. "You look so cute and in love together. I just want to put you both in my pocket"

Nicky and Alex couldn't stop giggling from the aside. "Now we know why Larry is so akward and weird. Genes, man! Am I rite?"

"Excuse me, but Piper dear, who is your drug importer lesbian ex lover who was imprisoned while you had child my son, your fiancé, only knew about a month ago" Piper dreaded the question but it was Nicky who snorted her drink first and then said "I'm telling you Vause you've to write a book about your life and become rich from it"

"Terrific idea Nicky, just terrific" Piper had no intention of stopping her sarcasm when referring to her. "To answer your question, Howard, that would be Alex. Tall brunette over here. Umm, you know, I haven't had the chance to tell you this yet, but, uh, Lux is going to Westmonte" Growing up at the Chapman household gave Piper the super power of changing the subject real quick when needed.

"Well, how do you like it? You made any new friends?" Carol was glad her granddaughter was keeping the tradition of their long and well established family of going to the prestigious Westomente.

"Well, I already had friends. But Piper doesn't want me to see them" Lux dead-serious declared.

"So Um, you know what? We, um, will you excuse us for a second? We're gonna go have a little family pow-wow, 'cause, you know, like, families, it's what we do" Piper dragged Alex and Piper to the now established place to talk when you don't want anybody else listening the kitchen.

"Okay, team, we are here to make a good first impression. So, let's focus up and save the cat fights for later, okay?" Piper vigorously expressed and after getting a sense of uneasiness from Lux she then continued "I just, I don't know even know what I've done that's so wrong. What, is it that I got you into a good school, or I didn't let you dry hump, you know, um, spider neck guy?"

"I was at a school that I was perfectly happy with. I have a boyfriend that I love. I've spent my whole life in foster care where no one has given a crap about what I wanted. So, I guess I just pictured that if I ever got a mom she actually would. But you don't. I'm not you, okay? I don't want what you want. You want me to sit at this dinner and pretend like these people are my family? They're not"

* * *

The rest of the dinner of course sucked, not even Nicky's snarky jokes could lighten up the mood between the spiteful comments from Carol, good ole Blooms and a super quiet Lux.

They had made it through dessert when Larry had the magnificent idea to ask about Bill, Piper's father which gave Carol the motivation she was looking for to start ranting about everything he and herself thought of Piper's past lifestyle.

Piper couldn't believe her own mother, saying all this wicked stuff in front of her daughter. She knew they were anything but supportive about her past relationship with Alex but it was exactly that relationship what had caused the upbringing of their own granddaughter for God's sake. Her father had expressed he needed more time to process everything but Carol has acted incredibly excited to meet her and to be a part of her life so Piper was fed up with her mother attitude and frankly she was done.

"You know what mother? I'm done with you. You can take all of your Chapman pride and show yourself out because I am done with you, and I am done with all of this. Sixteen years ago, I was afraid to tell you. And you know, it seems funny, given everything, because I didn't wanna disappoint you and let you down. But somehow I have managed to do that every day since. You were never going to believe that I was responsible. You were never gonna believe in me. So, I don't, I don't know why I agreed to this dinner. Oh, no, I do know why. It's because you told me you wanted to meet her and I truly thought for once in your life you were gonna actually support my decisions and above all, you were gonna be supportive of my kid" The blonde was at the verge of crying but she was ready was to let it all out. "Because that's what I'm trying to do here, Mother, whether you believe it or not, I'm trying to support my kid. Because that's what I think a parent job is"

"How dare you. Your father and I supported you every day of your life" A humiliated Carol replied.

"Not in the way that counts. You call me crazy, but I think that loving your kid means that you actually care about her and not what your fucking neighbor is going to think. You know what? You ask me why I want to do this, why I want to be a mother? It's because I don't wanna turn my back on Lux the way that you did with me" And just like that the initially awkward dinner turned to an expected terrible mother and daughter encounter.

* * *

Carol eventually left. Apologies for the unintentionally unpleasant night were made and Larry offered Piper's future in-laws to drive them home. Nicky and Alex were about to leave as well.

"Way to go Blondie, from one 'Evil mohter' child to another you were exceptionally fine standing up for your family" She then smirked and continued "And be aware that from now on I expect to be invited to every familiy gathering because this was not bad for a Wednesday night" She then went to her car and waited for her best friend to say goodbye to her ex.

"Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry everything went down this way" Alex felt awful but kind of proud about the version of Piper she had seen moments before.

"Don't. I mean, you know, if they had done a better job raising me, I would be better qualified to raise Lux. So, really, if you think about it, this whole thing, it's their fault" Piper softly joked and smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. And kind of mine. I should have never come in the first place. We both know how Carol and your family feel about me"

"Some things never change, huh? Listen, I still haven't told you this but I shouldn't have enrolled her at Westmonte without talking to you, either. I just read that article, and I pictured her in that school, and I really just wanna make every bad thing go away. But it just seems like the more I try, the worse it's getting"

"Maybe that's the problem. Not everything in her life was bad. Like I don't like the looks of him, but Bug, Natasha What? I don't know. To Lux, they're the good. I mean, if you if you think about it, we both had families before Lux. So, maybe she just wants you to realize that she had a family before us" Alex gently explained.

Piper nodded in agreement and added "Pretty insightful, for a former drug importer lesbian lover according to my in laws"

"Thanks" Alex replied chuckling with soft grin in her face.

"And I'm sorry Olivia couldn't make it" Even Piper didn't believe her own words.

"No you are not. But I'm glad too. It was hard enough for Carol to be around two lesbians tonight, imagine if it had been three. God forbid"

"Oh so she is…" Realization striked Piper. "So you and her are… you know"

"No no, she is a friend. A very good one but nothing more" Was Alex explanig to her engaged to be married to a man of an ex? Yes, she was.

'I bet she is' The blonde one thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, over the street, Lux was saying goodbye to her boyfriend.

"What a family you have…"

"Yes, it can get intense sometimes, but did you see what Piper did, I think she was pretty great" Lux enthusiastically stated and stared at her mothers direction.

"All right, you should go before Alex and Piper send you away. I think deep down they almost like you so let's not ruin it" The young blond playfully laughed.

"Are you gonna tell them?" Bug muttered under his breath.

"No. Just pick me up in the morning, I'll sell the bong-lamp as the most perfect and hip present you can give your boyfriend to one of the girls of my school and give you the money later, okay?"

"Okay. You, Lux, are the best thing to ever happen to me" Bug kissed and hugged her till it was time for him to go.

* * *

 **A/N 2: What will happen? Why does Bug need money?**

 **Thank you for reading and if you liked this chapter please leave a review with your thoughts and the story so far to let me know.**

 **See you soon!**


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